The invention is directed to a gas powered self-contained winch comprising an external casing including a first side wall, a second side wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and a stabilizing bar. The invention includes a combustion engine; a transmission assembly, a gear assembly and a clutch assembly that connect to a spool capable of winding and unwinding a cable wire. A hand controller can communicate with the clutch assembly through a cable wire sufficient to control the winding and unwinding of the cable.
|
1. A self-contained gas powered winch, comprising:
a combustion engine;
a transmission assembly connected to the combustion engine;
a gear assembly connected to transmission drive;
a clutch assembly connected to the transmission drive through the gear assembly, the clutch assembly having a first connecting gear which fits within a threaded clutch ring which in turn is contacted by a pivoting threaded arm member;
a spool positioned between the first side wall and second side wall that is connected to the clutch assembly, the spool capable of winding and unwinding a cable; and
a hand controller connects to the clutch assembly, the hand controller having at least one clutch cable in communication with the pivoting threaded arm member capable of applying pressure to the threaded clutch ring to regulate the rate of release of the cable.
2. The winch of
the clutch assembly includes a clutch enclosure capable of protecting components of the clutch assembly.
3. The winch of
an external casing having a first side wall, a corresponding second side wall, and a top wall, the external casing capable of housing and maintaining the combustion engine, transmission assembly, gear assembly and spool.
4. The winch of
the external casing further includes a fairlead which helps support the cable when released and retrieved from the spool.
5. The winch of
the external casing including a stabilizing bar placed between the first side and second side end.
6. The winch of
a pull-start having a handle attached to a starter string, the starter string being fed into a starter casing and connected to a rotatable starter wheel.
7. The winch of
the spool connects with the gear assembly through a first connecting gear communicating with a middle connecting gear which in turn connects to an end drive gear which is attached to the spool; and
the end drive gear having a diameter larger than the first connecting gear and middle connecting gear.
8. The winch of
the first connecting gear, middle connecting gear and end drive gear are protected through use of a rigid casing.
9. The winch of
the gear assembly includes at least one planetary gear and at least one threaded ring.
10. The winch of
each of said at least one planetary gear has a plurality of planet gears able to fit into a recess within each respective of said at least one threaded ring and receiving an end of the transmission drive.
11. The winch of
the gear assembly also includes a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate to help maintain the planetary gear and threaded ring.
|
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
This invention is directed to a self-contained portable winch for use in a wide variety of applications, particularly emergency rescue. Specifically, the invention relates to an adjustable torque winch that operates through use of a transmission knob and a hand held controller.
A winch is typically a mechanical device used to pull in (or alternatively let out) a tensioned cable, wire, or cable. In its simplest form, a winch consists of a spool (that winds and unwinds) attached to a crank—which can either be hand or machine driven. Winches are often rigidly attached to an immobile object or heavy item such as a tow truck or steam shovel.
Winches have various applications, which are determined largely by their size and underlying design considerations. Many are used for recreational purposes, such as the towing of cars, boats or gliders. Others help retrieve recreational vehicles, such as pulling a boat onto a trailer. They are also used to accomplish the backstage mechanics necessary to move scenery in theatrical productions—such as to move large set pieces between performances. A new generation of winches have surfaced for use in snowboarding, wakeboarding and wakeskating designed to pull riders swiftly across a body of water or snow to simulate a riding experience normally supplied by a snow mobile, boat or wave runner.
Apart from recreation, winches also serve a very important role in the field of emergency rescue. Winches help remove debris and support recovery after various natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and fires. This includes the lifting and removal of concrete partitions or other items which may have fallen on or trapped survivors of a natural disaster.
Although various winches have been developed for purposes of emergency rescue, there exist numerous disadvantages and limitations in the current designs. For example, many winches today are add-on features to other motorized devices—typically chainsaws. One example of a chainsaw attachment is the “Lewis Winch.” While the device boasts a 150-foot cable capable of pulling a load of 4,000 pounds, the device has several drawbacks. Most notably is the fact it requires a significant amount of time to assemble the Lewis Winch onto a chainsaw. In addition to assembly time, the operator must stand and hold the chainsaw throttle to operate the device, which can place the operator in a compromised and dangerous position.
While some all-in-one gas powered winches have been developed, these current systems also have multiple drawbacks—most notably their limited capacity due to design configuration. As one example, Chicago Power Tools, Inc. offers a winch that includes a 2.5 horse-powered four-stroke engine-which can pull a load of only 3,000 pounds. As a second example, Portable Winch Company offers a Honda® powered four-stroke engine that can pull 2,500 pounds at 60 feet per minute. Despite their larger engines both of the aforementioned examples suffer from relatively low load capacities and the fact that four-stroke engines must be kept upright to operate, which is often impossible in a rescue or off road situation.
One of the key issues in rescue and recovery after an emergency is not only the ability to move large objects to search for and recover survivors—but also how to return these bulky objects to a resting place without risking the lives of still trapped or isolated survivors. For example, once a fallen concrete and steel beam is lifted to release a trapped survivor, it is often necessary to gently lower that fallen beam at the scene after the trapped victim is removed. A controlled release of such an object is important to ensure that the beam is not uncontrollably dropped, which may risk the safety of others still trapped.
Current winch designs, including the three currently offered gas-powered winches discussed above, fail to allow for the controlled release of the cable tension and to allow a user to have sufficient control during release of the load. In addition, current winch designs fail to allow for a compact design which affords a durable transmission system that includes a clutch assembly capable of allowing controlled release of loads.
Accordingly, there is a need for an efficient gas powered compact all-in-one winch design that allows for controlled release of the cable, along with the ability to vary the torque, pulling rate and load capacity of winch.
This invention solves many of the current design limitations found in conventional winch designs. In one embodiment, the winch first includes an external casing having a first side wall, a corresponding second side wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and a stabilizing bar. Located within the external casing is a two-stroke gas combustion engine, a transmission assembly, a gear assembly and a centrifugal clutch/brake assembly which in turn powers a spool. A pull-starter is used to initiate the engine.
The transmission assembly includes a main transmission drive (having a first end and corresponding second end), as well as a power drive (also having a first end and a second end). The first end of the power drive connects to the combustion engine. The power drive contains a first power drive gear proximate the first end and a second power drive gear proximate the second end, both of equal size. In contrast, the transmission drive has a first transmission gear and larger second transmission gear.
The transmission assembly is protected by a rigid transmission casing. Located on top of the transmission casing is a transmission knob connected to a cantilever via a shaft. By twisting the transmission knob, the cantilever rotates the shaft and toggles the transmission drive (moving it towards or away from the combustion engine). In one setting, the transmission drive engages the first transmission gear to rotate the transmission drive—providing a lower torque but a higher rate of rotation. In another setting, the transmission drive engages the second transmission gear—leading to a higher torque but slower rate of rotation for the transmission drive.
A gear assembly connects to the transmission drive regardless of the toggle setting caused by turning the transmission knob. The gear assembly includes at least one planetary gear and at least one threaded ring. Each planetary gear has a plurality of sub-gears (located between a first plate and a second plate) capable of fitting into a recess within each respective threaded ring and capable of receiving the second end of the transmission drive. By rotating the transmission drive, each sub-gear engages threads within the threaded ring providing stability and efficient rotation which in turn provides rotational power to the clutch assembly. These components are maintained and protected through a first mounting plate and a corresponding second mounting plate.
A centrifugal clutch/brake assembly is connected to the transmission drive of the gear assembly. This assembly includes a first connecting gear which fits within a threaded clutch ring, which in turn can be engaged by a pivoting threaded arm member. A clutch cable connects with this threaded arm member, which is operated through a hand controller. By operating the hand controller, a user can apply pressure to the threaded arm member to pivot it onto the threaded clutch ring to control the rate of controlled release of the cable when under load. A clutch enclosure protects the various components of the clutch assembly and includes a rigid outer casing and a corresponding flat plate.
Moreover, the assembly serves as both a centrifugal clutch and a resistive break. The clutch includes shoes which engage a drum once the two-stroke engine reaches a predetermined speed. A drum housing coupled to the drum output plate contains a brake tab coupled to the input shaft of the transmission assembly. Each of these brake tables on the output plate ensures that the transmission input shaft will not rotate backwards. This in essence provides braking power necessary to hold tension on the cable when not retrieving line.
A spool located between the first side plate and second side plate connects with the gear assembly through at least one connecting gear emanating from the gear assembly. The spool winds and unwinds the cable. Located proximate the spool is a fairlead capable of directing and supporting the cable.
For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating various embodiments of the present invention, in which:
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Located between both side walls 110 and 120 is a top wall 130. These three walls (110, 120 and 130) help create a rigid and durable exterior casing 140 which helps protect and maintain the various internal components 200 of the winch 100. While the exterior casing 140 is preferably made of high strength aluminum, other similar lightweight but strong materials known to those of ordinary skill in the art can be used.
As further shown in
Also shown in
While
Attached to the hand controller 210 are two independent control cables 213 and 214, which are both encased in a controller tubing 215. The first control cable 213 is connecting to the pivoting trigger member 211 and helps control the rate of acceleration of the cable 151 (not shown) when moving loads. The second control cable 214 connects to the rotatable rate instrument 212 that helps regulate the rate of release of the cable 151. The control cables are connected to the two-stroke gas powered engine 500 and the clutch assembly 404 (shown in
Further shown in
The spool 150 connects to the second side wall 120 through a combination of three structures. First, there is a recessed groove 126 on the exterior of the second side wall 120 of sufficient size and dimension to allow the end of the spool 150 to be drawn through the second side wall 120. Second, there is a spool bearing 127 that fits within the groove and connects directly to the end of the spool 150. Lastly, an end disk connector 128 also connects at the distal end of the spool 150. The end disk connector's exterior diameter is the same size and dimension of the recessed grove 126. The spool bearing 127 and end disk connector 128 help direct and assist in rotating the spool 150 as it draws in and out the cable 151. These various components are protected through a rigid outer casing 173.
In addition to
Located between the starter wheel 175 and the starter casing 172 is a coil spring 177. At the distal end of the coil spring 177 is a bent prong 178. The bent prong 178 attaches to the interior of the starter casing 172. When a user pulls the starter string 174 through grabbing the handle 171, the starter wheel 175 turns which uncoils the coil spring 177. Upon releasing the handle 171, the coil spring 177 returns to its normal setting, which causes the starter wheel 175 to likewise rotate back to its usual orientation. Put another way, drawing the handle 171 away from the winch 100 causes the starter wheel 174 to turn and release the wound starter string 174—which also uncoils the coil spring 177.
While
The transmission plate 320 includes a recess 321. Positioned in the middle of the recess 321 is an opening 322 that allows the transmission drive 330 to exit the transmission assembly 300. A cover plate 323 can be placed over the opening 322. The cover plate 323 has a passage of the same size and dimension as the outer diameter of the transmission drive 330.
The first end 341 of the power drive 340 protrudes outside the transmission casing 310 and connects directly with the two-stroke gas powered combustion engine 500 (shown in
The first end 331 of the transmission gear 333 protrudes outside of the transmission casing 310 and is housed by an end cap 335. This end cap 335 is secured to the transmission casing 310 through a gasket 336 secured via a plurality of bolts 337. A bearing 338 can be used to maintain the first end 331 into the end cap 335.
The transmission knob 190 located on top of the transmission casing 310 connects to a rotating shaft 191. At the distal end of the shaft 191 (farthest from the knob 190) is a cantilever member 192. By turning the transmission knob 190, the cantilever member 192 shifts the transmission drive 330 either toward or away from the two-stroke gas combustion engine 500. By twisting the knob 190 at one setting, the cantilever member 192 toggles the transmission drive 330 so that it engages with the first transmission gear 333. Likewise, positioning the knob 191 at a separate setting causes the transmission drive 330 to engage with the second transmission gear 334. This results in a differential torque based upon the varying diameters of the first transmission gear 333 and the second transmission gear 334.
As further shown in
While
In addition,
Both planetary gears 408 and 409 illustrated in
The clutch/break assembly 404 illustrated in
Further illustrated in
There are two secondary benefits of this release mechanism allowed by the clutch/break assembly 404. First, if there is any change in tension on the cable 151 (not shown) during operation of the winch 100, there is no stripping of the various gears within the transmission assembly 400. In addition, the combination of the coil spring 605 and connecting gears (603 and 606) ensure that if there is a change in direction of the cable 151 this does not compromise the two-stroke engine 500.
Optionally, the clutch/break assembly 404 can include a group of spring loaded clutch shoes housed within a drum. This operates akin to the brake shoes on a car. In one contemplated embodiment, these spring loaded brake shoes travel with the output of the two-stroke engine 500 and the drum is connected to the input shaft of the transmission assembly 300. At idle speeds, the springs hold the shoes so that they do not come into contact with the drum. As the engine speed is increased the centrifugal force on the shoes increases to a point that they overcome the springs and move outwardly enough to press against the drum, which in turn begins turning the transmission assembly input shaft.
Chartier, Joel, Akhavein, Glenn, Morrison, M. Andrew
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
10131524, | Sep 07 2011 | ELECTROMECHANICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC | Gear reduction assembly and winch including gear reduction assembly |
10233061, | Mar 08 2013 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Remote winch clutch system |
10312671, | Apr 26 2010 | Southwire Company, LLC | Apparatus for pushing conductors into conduit and other structures |
10322916, | Sep 22 2017 | NINGBO LIANDA WINCH CO., LTD. | Winch |
10377608, | Sep 22 2017 | NINGBO LIANDA WINCH CO., LTD. | Winch for vehicles |
10549963, | Mar 30 2018 | Automatic clutch winch | |
10618784, | Mar 08 2013 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Remote winch clutch system |
10766749, | Sep 08 2014 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Portable winch |
10814923, | May 03 2016 | Security device actuating a spare tire by electronic means | |
11286138, | Nov 07 2019 | Zhejiang Runva Mechanical & Electrical Co., Ltd | Winch and brake unit with sliding blocks |
11451019, | Apr 26 2010 | Southwire Company, LLC | Apparatus for pushing conductors into conduit and other structures |
11784471, | Apr 26 2010 | Southwire Company, LLC | Apparatus for pushing conductors into conduit and other structures |
8808130, | Sep 13 2010 | ELECTROMECHANICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC | Gear reduction assembly and winch including gear reduction assembly |
9120655, | Sep 07 2011 | ELECTROMECHANICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC | Gear reduction assembly and winch including gear reduction assembly |
9315364, | Mar 08 2013 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Remote winch clutch system |
9315365, | Jun 03 2013 | Lifting assembly | |
9475589, | Dec 20 2013 | Makani Technologies LLC | Systems and apparatus for winch drum mechanism |
9604827, | Feb 18 2015 | Mobile winch in a bag system | |
9793690, | Apr 26 2010 | Southwire Company, LLC | Apparatus for pushing conductors into conduit and other structures |
9902597, | Apr 24 2015 | Comeup Industries Inc.; Comeup Industries Inc | Torque limiter for power winch |
9908752, | Apr 24 2015 | Comeup Industries Inc.; Comeup Industries Inc | Torque limiting and conical braking assembly for power winch |
9908757, | Mar 08 2010 | WIZARD PRODUCTS, LLC | Gas powered self contained portable winch |
D983476, | Nov 12 2020 | Comeup Industries Inc. | Upright power winch |
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
1353238, | |||
1464294, | |||
1768278, | |||
1931655, | |||
2080804, | |||
2151338, | |||
2159250, | |||
2278022, | |||
2309285, | |||
2417199, | |||
2515805, | |||
2869822, | |||
3036435, | |||
3220701, | |||
3291452, | |||
3309066, | |||
3322398, | |||
3411751, | |||
3572482, | |||
3788607, | |||
3799005, | |||
3871714, | |||
3915022, | |||
3938781, | Oct 12 1972 | Olympic Instruments Inc. | Level wind for winch |
4004780, | Sep 23 1975 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Winch |
4109799, | Aug 06 1975 | Skyline logging carriage | |
4145028, | Dec 19 1977 | KOFK, Inc. | Portable power winch assembly |
4162059, | Aug 29 1977 | Portable winch | |
4169580, | Nov 23 1976 | Hatlapa Uetersener Maschinenfabrik GmbH | Hydraulic winch for shipboard use |
4188790, | Feb 21 1974 | A/S Bergens Mekaniske Verksteder | Hydraulic system for operation of a winch |
4196889, | Feb 23 1978 | Astro Development | Hand-held powered portable winch |
4390161, | Mar 03 1981 | Superwinch, Inc. | Winch drive and brake mechanism |
4434973, | Oct 09 1980 | Tractel, S.A. | Electric hoist |
4444375, | Sep 19 1979 | Hunter's towing machine | |
4552340, | Sep 29 1983 | SHEPPARD JOSEPH R | Portable winch |
4553738, | Oct 19 1982 | TEXTRON IPMP L P | Cable pulling device with anti-reversing clutch |
4569423, | Sep 03 1982 | Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Traction machine for an elevator |
4588167, | Aug 09 1984 | Portable Power Tools, Inc. | Portable power driven winch |
4613273, | Aug 27 1984 | JAMAR CO | Spare tire handling apparatus |
4623124, | May 28 1985 | Portable hydraulic power unit | |
4635903, | Jul 29 1985 | Columbus McKinnon Corporation | Electric hoist pendant control switch arrangement |
4736929, | Jun 30 1986 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Winch having split housing and drive components |
4830300, | Nov 24 1987 | Atlantic Richfield Company | Apparatus for reeling flexible cable |
4846309, | Mar 17 1986 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Elevator hoisting apparatus |
4930719, | Apr 08 1988 | BAILIFF OF HAMILTON SMALL CLAIMS COURT PLAINTIFF: P J HOFBAURER, B SC , LL B | Tow-line winding device |
4974814, | May 08 1987 | Maxwell Winches Limited | Multispeed winch |
5002259, | Dec 22 1987 | RULE INDUSTRIES, INC | Power winch system |
5020737, | Apr 08 1988 | BAILIFF OF HAMILTON SMALL CLAIMS COURT PLAINTIFF: P J HOFBAUER, B SC , LL B | Tow-line winding device |
5205219, | Apr 03 1991 | Marc, Groskreutz | Skier rope towing apparatus and winch therefor |
5249777, | Apr 17 1989 | Portable winch | |
5275452, | Dec 23 1991 | Quick release connector | |
5374035, | Jun 03 1993 | Winch with power train, manual operation option, and particular brake assembly | |
5411122, | May 24 1993 | Hoffco, Inc. | Cone ramp clutch |
5474278, | Dec 23 1991 | Backpack mounted device for moving loads | |
5544862, | Sep 29 1992 | POWER HAWK TECHNOLOGIES, INC | Rescue tool |
5573091, | Dec 09 1994 | Electrically powered or manually driven clutch and brake assembly for electric winch | |
5588633, | Oct 20 1992 | Winch & Engineering Limited | Mounting bracket |
5603489, | Jan 04 1995 | Tree stand winch apparatus and method | |
5663541, | Mar 18 1996 | Manual switch for direct current reversible electric winch motors | |
5803437, | Mar 26 1997 | JEAMAR WINCHES LTD | Chainless drive winch |
5970813, | Sep 17 1997 | ABL Boat Lifts | Drive system |
6241215, | Oct 30 1998 | Demag Cranes & Components GmbH | Portable winch |
6572083, | Aug 30 1999 | W W PATTERSON COMPANY | Winch with safe load release system |
6663086, | Dec 17 2001 | Structure of a cable winch used in vehicle | |
6820863, | Apr 23 2003 | Portable motorized chain driver | |
7000904, | Jun 07 2004 | Cable winch structure | |
7066450, | Apr 08 2004 | WYSE mid-span winch kit | |
7140598, | Nov 22 2004 | CAREFREE SCOTT FETZER COMPANY | Freefall windlass with governor |
7222700, | Apr 22 2004 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Roller disk brake for a winch |
7325773, | Jun 30 2005 | Gregory J., Gorrie | Kite winch and method for pulling-in a kite |
7469881, | Jul 29 2004 | Unovo, Inc. | Hoist with detachable power and control unit |
7614609, | Oct 29 2008 | T-MAX HANGZHOU TECHNOLOGY CO , LTD | Winch |
7648125, | Jul 24 2008 | Winch clutch assembly | |
7922153, | Sep 16 2008 | Runva Mechanical & Electrical Co, LLC | Variable speed winch |
802323, | |||
8079569, | Apr 29 2005 | Cable drawworks for a drilling rig | |
20030089897, | |||
20030111654, | |||
20080157042, | |||
20090114892, | |||
20100065799, | |||
20120114508, | |||
D348758, | Sep 04 1992 | Demag Cranes & Components GmbH | Hoist |
D459048, | Feb 09 2001 | Sky Man International, naamloze vennootschap | Hoist |
D482174, | Feb 06 2002 | KITO CORPORATION | Hoist |
D482507, | Feb 06 2002 | KITO CORPORATION | Hoist |
D518361, | Jul 12 2004 | Motorized extension cord/hose reel | |
D546022, | Nov 04 2005 | Sky Climber, LLC | Hoist |
Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Mar 04 2010 | MORRISON, M ANDREW | WIZARD PRODUCTS, LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 024231 | /0480 | |
Mar 05 2010 | AKHAVEIN, GLEN | WIZARD PRODUCTS, LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 024231 | /0480 | |
Mar 05 2010 | CHARTIER, JOEL | WIZARD PRODUCTS, LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 024231 | /0480 | |
Mar 08 2010 | WIZARD PRODUCTS, LLC | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
Apr 08 2013 | STOM: Pat Hldr Claims Micro Ent Stat. |
Dec 16 2016 | REM: Maintenance Fee Reminder Mailed. |
May 07 2017 | EXPX: Patent Reinstated After Maintenance Fee Payment Confirmed. |
Jun 29 2017 | PMFP: Petition Related to Maintenance Fees Filed. |
Jun 29 2017 | PMFG: Petition Related to Maintenance Fees Granted. |
Jun 29 2017 | MTOS: Pat Hldr no Longer Claims Micro Ent Stat. |
Jun 29 2017 | M2558: Surcharge, Petition to Accept Pymt After Exp, Unintentional. |
Jun 29 2017 | M2551: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 4th Yr, Small Entity. |
Dec 28 2020 | REM: Maintenance Fee Reminder Mailed. |
Jun 14 2021 | EXP: Patent Expired for Failure to Pay Maintenance Fees. |
Date | Maintenance Schedule |
May 07 2016 | 4 years fee payment window open |
Nov 07 2016 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
May 07 2017 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
May 07 2019 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
May 07 2020 | 8 years fee payment window open |
Nov 07 2020 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
May 07 2021 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
May 07 2023 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
May 07 2024 | 12 years fee payment window open |
Nov 07 2024 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
May 07 2025 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
May 07 2027 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |